Brighton lineup vs. Fulham: Predicted XI for Premier League opener of 2025-26 season

Brighton & Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler could hand summer signing Maxim De Cuyper his Premier League debut in Saturday’s opening fixture of the 2025-26 season at home to Fulham.

De Cuyper, who has joined the Seagulls from Club Brugge for a reported £17.5m, scored his first Seagulls goal in a 2-1 pre-season win over Wolfsburg last weekend and the attack-minded left-back is likely to start in defence, following the sale of Pervis Estupinan to AC Milan.

Captain Lewis Dunk is set to start at the heart of the four-man backline alongside Jan Paul van Hecke, while Hurzeler will weigh up whether to select Tariq Lamptey of midfielder Mats Wieffer at right-back.

Manchester United-linked midfielder Carlos Baleba has recovered from a knee injury and Hurzeler has confirmed that he is "an option to start” this weekend. Yasin Ayari, Diego Gomez, Matt O'Riley and 39-year-old James Milner are other midfield options, while Jack Hinshelwood (knock) is set to be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Kaoru Mitoma and Danny Welbeck finished last season as Brighton’s joint-top scorers with 11 goals and both players are expected to start in the final third, the former operating on the left flank and the latter playing as the central striker.

Following the sale of Joao Pedro to Chelsea, Georgino Rutter has impressed in pre-season and is set to take up an advanced central role in behind Welbeck, while Yankuba Minteh is expected to start on the right wing.

New teenage attacking trio Tom Watson, Stefanos Tzimas and Charalampos Kostoulas - the latter of whom is a £29m summer signing from Olympiacos - are in a “phase of adaptation” according to Hurzeler and may not be involved this weekend, while Solly March, Adam Webster and Julio Enciso are all sidelined with knee injuries.

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Ayari, Gomez; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck

> Click here to see how Fulham could line up for this contest